Christ's How To: Raise a Ralts
by Leonardo Jurado
Summary: Depression is a real illness, but those affected usually don't know they are, nor do they know how to cure themselves. It's bad enough it affects even ten-year-old's like Christ Salvador, but it's even worse when the Pokémon he's chosen is a Ralts, the Feeling Pokémon. Will Christ find a way to transcend his troubled past? Or will he let it define him forever?
1. Introduction

_**Author's Notes:** I'm discontinuing my old novel, **Life, Music, and Ria**, mainly because I tried charting myself into the unfamiliar territory where the character was trying to start his own internet cafe business, which I had no idea about. But essentially, they're similar: realistically dealing with the complications of raising the Ralts-line._

_I don't own any rights to Pokémon, but I do own the rights to my Original Characters. Reviews would be highly-appreciated._

* * *

Christ's How to...

Raise a Ralts

(Introduction)

* * *

**::: 0732 hours, 10 June (Tue), 2003 :::**

"Good morning, Miss Cherry!"

"Good morning and welcome back, class!" The class sits down as Miss Cherry walks to the blackboard, "So how did everyone enjoy their summer?"

As the rest of the class stood up one-by-one and talked about how their summers went, I was staring out the window with my head leaning on my hand. My name's Christ Salvador, your usual ten-year-old with brown eyes and short hair (like I had a choice, considering the school's short-hair policy), lightly-tanned white skin and chubby-cheeks. I may have been a little fat, but not like those fat kids who look like they're blowing air into their mouths; no, it just meant old ladies who'd pinch me would say I had just the right amount of meat in me. Based off experience, believe me.

So why's this story focused on a chubby, ordinary boy like me, you dear reader might ask? "Christ?" Miss Cherry singles me out, "So how'd you spend your summer?"

Was it because I was comfortable being on the spotlight? "Nothing much, Miss Cherry. Just spent it mostly at home playing computer games." Well that last statement probably made you paint my life as this geeky kid who spends his time playing lonely computer games in his mother's basement, doesn't it? Half of that is true, by the way: I _am_ a geeky kid, and I do spend lots of time playing PC games, but I _don't_ live in my mother's basement, mind you!

"That so? As in nothing else aside from computer games?"

"Hahah! What a nerd, as always!" A girl from one side of the class stands up and taunts me.

"What's it to you, Synthia? You his girlfriend now?" The entire class giggles and 'ooo's' at the boy's comeback (who by the way was one of my friends, Beckham Pablos), making the girl (and me) blush and sit back down on her seat. To be honest, while I had lots of confidence taking down monsters in pixel worlds, I still found it embarrassing to deal with the complexities of the opposite gender.

"Now now, class, don't be rude with your fellow classmates, because this year's special, and today's a special day!" So that brings us back to the question: why am I the focus of this story? "You know what time it is?"

"It's Pokémon Day!" The whole class cheers in unison, including yours truly, because who in their right mind wouldn't wanna have their very own all-powerful murderbeast? Hell yeah, I'd want one of them apples!

"That's right! From this year onwards, you'll have your very own Pokémon to take care of! Naturally, you can only pick the starter-Pokémon in Elementary, but when you reach High-School and have more experience raising a couple of Pokémon you'll get to expand to the more advanced types.

"For your school assignment tomorrow," everyone quickly moans, "ask your parents to help pick the Pokémon you want as your starter!" And everyone starts cheering again as Miss Cherry hands the front row some papers to pass (I was third row, first column), "Each of you will be handed a sheet of paper. The front portion describes the commonly-used Hoenn starter Pokémon. What you'll do is fill out the blanks at the back, and pass these papers tomorrow. I'll let you all read the papers first before we continue, and don't be shy about asking questions!"

When I got my paper, I looked at the different Pokémon available as starters, hoping I'd find one I'd like:

* * *

**Torchic**, for people who want to see things burn

**Mudkip**, for those who want to get wet (what?)

**Treeko**, for those with green thumbs

**Abra**, for those who love the supernatural

**Makuhita**, for those who like to roughhouse

**Sandshrew**, for those who love to mess around

**Taillow**, for those who hate the ground

**Skitty**, usually for girls or those (un)confident of their gender

**Wurmple**, usually for boys or those who love pranks

**Zigzagoon**, for those who love comedy

* * *

But none of them were what I was looking for. While the list was both extensive and awesome, covering almost every aspect a new Trainer would've wanted, it didn't have that Pokémon that I was looking for, "Miss Cherry?" I raised my hand to call her attention, "What about Ralts? It's not here in the list."

"Why yes, Christ, thank you for reminding me! Everyone, I forgot to mention that your choice of Pokémon doesn't limit you to this list only, but the Pokémon here are recommended for starting Trainers because they're easy enough to take care of. You can actually have your own starting Pokémon, but some come from outside Hoenn like Charmander, making them expensive," this makes a few in the class to moan, "while others are harder to take care of, like Ralts."

"Oh..." I felt a little sadder inside.

Miss Cherry places an understanding hand on my shoulder, "But why a Ralts, Christ? Why not an Abra? Both of them are Psychic-types, surely an Abra would be better for you?"

"Well... It's that... oh, nothing." I faked a smile, which worked and made her continue walking around class.

So... Why specifically a Ralts? Cause it's the first real-life Pokémon I've ever seen outside of books and TV. I met an adult who visited our school several years ago, and sitting on his shoulder like a Chatot was this pretty little Pokémon he called a Ralts. At the time I was a small kid, so it was almost as tall as me, but what got my attention was how cheerful both he and his Ralts were, and it made me feel happy seeing them like that, like two best friends or a father and his daughter (I found out later the Ralts was a girl by asking our teacher).

"No more questions, class? Alright then, please open your language textbooks and turn to page 2..."

* * *

**::: 0729 hours, 11 June (Wed), 2003 :::**

"Wow, Miss Cherry! What's with all these boxes?" one of the girls points at the large, heavy cardboard boxes occupying almost a fourth of our classroom, "Hey, this one has my name on it!" Everyone then checks if their names are on them, and sure enough I even find mine.

"What's in them? You think they're our Pokémon?" I shook my box a bit to check what's inside, but it was hard to tell because all the boxes were apparently filled with styrofoam packaging. I was the first to successfully open mine (I used my ballpen to Poké through the packaging tape), and what I saw made my eyes glint with glee, "A Pokémon Egg!" And sure enough, inside my box was a large cylindrical clear-glass container with special plastic covers, one of them with a Poké Ball secured to some sort of clamp in the center. And inside _this_ container was this greenish-white egg with spots of dark-green and red all over, floating in mid-air. The egg was as large as an ostrich egg, while the entire set was almost as heavy as all my books combined, so I made a mental note to get a bigger bag in the near future. I put a hand on the glass, and it felt warm to the touch, so it probably served as the egg's incubator, but what's most amazing was that the egg, no matter how hard I shook the container, it never touched the sides and kept floating in the same spot, like it was being held in place by an invisible force.

I looked around and saw that everyone had their own named boxes, and those that opened theirs had their their own differently-colored Pokémon Eggs within their own incubators. Some eggs had similar colors and patterns with others, to show they got the same Pokémon, while some looked pretty strange indeed. And slowly it came to me, the realization that from this moment on, I- no, **_we_** were now official Pokémon Trainers... awww, _sweetsauce_!

"Now, class!" Miss Cherry calls everyone back to their seats after everyone else finished getting and/or opening their boxes, "Even if your eggs haven't hatched yet, all of you are now part of the wonderful world of Pokémon, and I expect all of you to be great friends with your newborn Pokémon when they hatch. Until you graduate from Grade School you'll all be limited to having only that Pokémon. Remember: if you can't even take care of just one Pokémon, how much more if you'll take charge of a whole team?

"But what's most important is that Pokémon are your friends, not tools. How you treat your Pokémon and how healthy they become will greatly determine your grades in the future. So I expect that all of you will become wonderful Trainers one day.

"Now..." She takes out a stack of blank papers from underneath her desk and gives each of us one to write on, "What I want you all to do is write in a paragraph of at least three-sentences your dreams and expectations of becoming a Pokémon Trainer, and why you picked the Pokémon you chose. When you're done, please pass the papers to the front."

I peeked around the class to check what their reasons were. Most were kinda standard: to enter into Pokémon Battles and Competitions, to have adventures with, to have something to groom and style and play with, the usual. At first I was gonna start with 'I want to spread happiness to the world', but that sounded really corny. Another idea was 'I want to have a friend to play computer games with', but then many of my games were of the Single Player variety.

After some heavy thought, the perfect statement came to me. It made a pang so strongly in my soul that I wrote it with a bit of tear in my eyes:

"I want to be the father I always wanted to have..."


	2. Ralts Report by Professor Narra

Christ's How to...

Raise a Ralts

(Ralts Report by Professor Narra)

* * *

**Scientific name:** _Ineffigiatus chorumiliae innocentum  
_**Subspecies:**  
_c. innocentum astutia_ (Hoenn-indigenous)  
_c. innocentum virtus_ (Sinnoh-indigenous)

**Common name:** Ralts

* * *

**General Summary:**  
Ralts are Psychic-type Pokémon normally found in the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions, rarely in Johto as swarms. They are first stage Pokémon who evolve into Kirlia (_chorumiliae solsaltator_) at level 20, who then evolve into either Gardevoir (_chorumiliae complexus_) at level 30, or (if male) Gallade (_chorumiliae honestas_) when exposed to Dawn Stone radiation.

Despite being first stage Pokémon, Ralts are notorious among the trainer community for being one of the trickiest Pokémon for trainership because of their ability to sense and embody the emotions of others around them being a key factor to their health and well-being, and their strict dietary needs. Ironically, they are considered viable starter Pokémon and are popular among amateur-casual trainers for their peaceful tendencies and childlike behavior.

* * *

**Etymology:**  
The word _chorumiliae_ is a portmanteau of the Latin words _chorum_ (dancing) and _familia_ (family) because their evolutionary line uncannily resemble ballroom dancers, while they have very strong and protective familial instincts. _Innocentum_ is Latin for innocents, due to the Pokémon's childlike and "innocent" tendencies, and how children are culturally viewed as blank slates.

Ralts may be a partial anagram of _astral_ (as in astral body), possibly due to their classification in the _Ineffigiatus_ family. It may also involve _relate_, referring to the way Ralts will only relate to happy and cheerful trainers. It may also be a play on _waltz_ (a type of dance), which is also reflected on their genus name.

* * *

**Physiology:**  
Ralts are humanoid Psychic-type Pokémon that stand approximately 0.4 meters tall, and are covered in short, glossy white fur that has the consistency of cotton or silk, obscuring their tiny ears and nose, but not their mouth. They have an oversized spherical head that comprises almost half their height, while their necks are thin and tiny (scientists have theorized their heads are supported by psychic energy rather than the neck itself, akin to the _praefator_ genus, commonly known as the Abra line). It has lengthy lime-green hair on its head, resembling a bowl cut - - - obscuring much of its face and large, red-pupiled eyes that are visible from a proper viewing angle - - - which is split by two flat red horns going down the center, a larger one towards the front and a smaller one at the back. Its small, slender arms appear fingerless, but anatomical studies show they resemble highly flexible flippers that can wrap around objects. Its legs are unique, in that its foot sole is its tibia and therefore walks zeugopodic, its autopod or "true foot" having atrophied from lack of use, giving it the appearance of wearing an oversized dress.

Shiny Ralts are structurally similar to their usual counterparts, but their hair color becomes light-blue, while their white fur attains a slightly more pinkish hue, and their red horns also become lighter in color.

* * *

**Gender Differences:**  
Ralts, and their evolutionary lines, are cloacal. While they have no secondary sexual characteristics, females can be quickly differentiated by the presence of a third, urethral vent located nearest the cloacal opening. Males do not have such, and instead have a specific area on the inner cloacal wall that rises and enlarges into a muscular hydrostat similar to a hectocotylus when sexually aroused, a trait shared by most Pokémon in the _Ineffigiatus_ family.

* * *

**Notable Abilities:**  
Ralts are classified as Psychic-type Pokémon, but its powers are similar to what many Ghost-type Pokémon would have, and is one of the few non-Grass-type Pokémon lines that learn Magical Leaf naturally. While they are the frailest of their evolutionary line, depending on their higher evolutions to protect them from most dangers, they can hold their own in a fight if given enough time to develop and mature.

What distinguishes Ralts and their evolutionary line most from other Psychic-types are their red horns, which in addition to functioning as psychic foci, have the ability to sense the empathic psychic emissions that give away the emotions of Pokémon and people within a large radius of their surroundings. While Ralts do produce their own emotions, the proximity of their horns to their brain means they are highly receptive to, and therefore embody, the emotions of other beings to the point of granting the Pokémon a high degree of Clairempathy, their general health and psychic prowess being dependent on positive emotions: if they feel and sense warm, cheerful and happy emotions around them, Ralts grow stronger and become slightly warm to the touch; conversely, when they feel and sense depressive, fearful or hostile emotions, Ralts become cold, while their powers and immune systems weaken. Severely distressful emotions over long periods of time can result in total internal organ failure, which eventually lead to death.

Ralts are further divided into three strains (two before the incorporation of the Unova Exploration Effort reports, see _U2E_), based on what trainers call "special characteristics". It is important to note that none of these strains have any physiological or psychological differences among each other, being only discernable by psychic/aura-capable beings, or through observation of their effects.

The Ralts alpha-strains have the "Synchronize" special characteristic. These strains are born with psyche-offensive brain patterns that, if affected by either non-volatile status ailments "perpetual incineration" (BRN), "pervasive/progressive toxins" (PSN/TXN), or "motor paralysis" (PAR), caused from moves by a foe during combat, would allow them to psychically implant such ailment into that same foe's physiology automatically, similar to a passive form of the TM Psycho Shift. Furthermore, if this strain is elected to be the alpha of a group, they also emanate subliminal psychic emissions which attract Pokémon with similar nature as the Ralts. While all Pokémon with the same nature sense this as a "strange tugging feeling", psychic/aura-capable beings report it as akin to "psychic perfume with different aromas depending on the strain's nature".

The Ralts beta-strains have the "Trace" special characteristic. These strains are born with psyche-defensive brain patterns which, upon engaging a foe during combat, allow them to replicate that Pokémon's special characteristic. This can be as subtle as replicating "Adaptability", to dynamic physiological and psychological changes like "Rough Skin" and "Insomnia", respectively. The effects aren't permanent, and quickly wear off when the threat is neutralized. While other Pokémon can only observe dynamic effects of the replicated ability, psychic/aura-capable beings report it as this strain passively and psychically body melding with the opponent.

The U2E report that there are Ralts gamma-strains indigenous to the Extralink, and in specific areas called Hidden Grottos, that have the "Telepathy" special characteristic. These strains are born with psyche-defensive brain patterns that give them limited, ally-specific combat clairvoyance, allowing them to sense if, when and where members within their combat group will launch AoE attacks or direct attacks that could accidentally or intentionally affect them, then use that information to dodge accordingly, mitigating friendly fire. The clairvoyancy is limited in that it doesn't allow them to dodge status ailment-causing moves. Psychic/aura-capable beings report that this strain's passive psychic energy is in a constant state of anticipative fluctuation.

* * *

**Habitat and Range:**  
Wild Ralts are indigenous to the regions Hoenn and the warmer parts of Sinnoh, almost always coexisting alongside their second and third stage evolutionary lines in tight-knit herds called communities. Ralts swarms have also been reported in Johto, but these are rare and have only occured fairly recently that scientists are still conducting studies whether these Ralts were either accidentally introduced to this region via shipments from Sinnoh (studies report they show many psychological similarities with their Sinnoh kin), or if they've migrated from Sinnoh long ago, but have been less successful as a niche species.

Due to the inherent hazards of their horns' abilities, they usually live far away from human settlements and areas where predation and inter/intraspecies competition are frequent, preferring to nest in open grasslands where they can easily spot, sense and divert other beings away, but are not above being migratory to avoid persistent fauna, natural disasters and the threat of war. While they are typically shy and reclusive creatures, they do approach other beings when the afformentioned are emanating positive emotions, and it's not uncommon to find Ralts and their evolutionary lines closer to settlements where joyous festivals and parades are being celebrated.

* * *

**Diet:**  
While Ralts are biologically capable of processing meat, in the wild they loathe hunting due to the empathic backlash of hurting and killing prey, remaining herbivorous unless in desperate need of food. However Ralts digestive systems aren't strong enough to handle complex plant material and cellulose, so they usually consume easily-digestible fruits, vegetables and mild-tasting Pokéberries. If raised in captivity, Ralts are content to consume meat, so long as these have been thoroughly cooked, tenderized, and are free of preservatives as much as possible. It is ill-advised to feed Ralts over extended periods processed or artificial foods like canned goods and soft drinks, or PokéBerry-based consumables with intense flavoring, lest their system gets overwhelmed and they experience moderate to severe diarhhea.

* * *

**Behavior and Social Structure:**  
Ralts line communities are one of few Pokémon herds to have developed their own agricultural practices, reasons being to avoid foraging and its inherent risks. The smallest units of community organization are the circles, which are analogous to human extended families, and each circle takes care of at least an acre's worth of crops. The next are spheres, where multiple circles assimilate to farm an area of at least four hectares, or at most nine. Finally, when two or more spheres assimilate, a globe is formed, which can vary as small as two or three hectares, to several dozens of fields spanning many hectares. Globe communities are by far the largest _chorumiliae_ communities, and are usually located in large, isolated valleys requiring Poké-based transportation to get to. Ralts are considered the children and main tenders of these fields, usually comprising a large percentage within communities.

Their horns' abilities have colored their social structure to be horizontally-oriented, familial and phenomenally successful at curbing tentions and problems: Ralts treat each other and their Kirlia members as "siblings", while Gardevoir/Gallades are highly revered as "parents", differentiating those biologically- and socially-related by inserting the words "close" and "distant", respectively. While they mistrust outsiders at first, those that gain their hard-earned and hard-kept trust are warmly welcomed, even fiercely protected. Unexpected capture by trainers is uncommon due their sharp psychic senses and the closeness of communities, and is usually voluntary unto those trainers the community has already befriended.

When wild communities come under threat, depending on whether there have considerable Kirlia or Gardevoir/Gallade presence and whether they can reasonably deal with the threat themselves, two scenarios can happen: if they can solve it, "siblings" are escorted by enough "parents" to safety while being shielded from ensuing negative emotions by their escorts, and the more competent members solve the threat; if they cannot solve it, or if the community has insufficient Kirlia or Gardevoir/Gallade presence, the whole community strategically retreats and migrates to a safer location.

Captive-born male _c. innocentum virtus _(Sinnoh-indigenous) subspecies can be differentiated from their _c. innocentum __astutia_ (Hoenn-indigenous) counterparts in that the former usually act in a more chivalrous manner in preparation to be Gallade, while the latter normally have softer and more caring behavior similar to what Gardevoir value. While the former prefer to be able to procure their own Dawn Stone as early as possible, they are content to evolve into Gardevoir should that be their trainer's, and ultimately their community's, wish. They also have hedonistic tendencies, frequently flocking to the nearest source of positive emotion if they think the risks are worth it.

* * *

**Courting and Childrearing:**  
It is a common misconception that Ralts are unable to bear children, but it is true they prefer to mate when they've at least evolved to Kirlia to better defend their young. Ralts enter puberty two years after birth (their helmet hair coarsens and hardens slightly in preparation for evolution into Kirlia), and reach sexual maturity at five years. Courtship begins when either gender picks one of each kind of Pokéberry available in their circle, and offers the nuptial gifts to their chosen mate, usually outside the circle. While they prefer monogamous relationships and bond for life, they are open to polyamory when more than one potential suitor has chosen the same mate, the order of mating chosen by the quality of the Pokéberries the suitor has. However, should the suitor have some form of genetic disability, they must make "pilgrimages" to Pokémon Centers before they can be eligible for suitorship, in the hopes human technology can cure them of their ailments.

Copulation strategies vary depending on the participants, but it only requires the male to deposit the spermatophore on the tip of his hectocotylus into the female's uterus. Breeding Centers report the Pokémon Egg appears between one to two months after first reported copulation. The egg has a 21-cycle ideal development period, and, given that each cycle is universally 15 minutes long, would take roughly two months for the Ralts to hatch.

A new circle is formed under the biological mother when the first egg is hatched, and in cases of polyamorous relationships circles overlap father-side. Wild male Ralts born in Sinnoh are given Dawn Stones as coming-of-age gifts if available, while those in Hoenn do not need such, seeing as how Dawn Stones aren't native in that region and are thus considered human luxuries. Newborn Ralts are nursed by their biological parents until they develop enough psychic potential to begin tending their circle's crops. Circle ties are closely kept even when they reach sexual maturity and make circles of their own. Jealousy and competition for attention are almost unheard of due to the negativity of such emotions, while their psychic powers and abilities allow them to communicate and share affection equally and almost immediately.

Ralts have varying life expectancies, and this article only covers those which don't evolve: in the wild, Ralts can live as short as 10 years when in small communities not under the protection of their second or third stage counterparts, to as long as 50 when in ideally-nested globe communities complete with second and third stage counterparts. In captivity, well-cared for specimens under responsible trainership, living in a mostly positive emotional environment, can live longer than 60 years, with exceptionally-healthy ones capable of reaching 90.

* * *

**Trainership Info:**  
As the first stage of their evolutionary line, Ralts are the weakest and frailest of the Psychic-types, making them unpopular for trainers who are into competitive battling, their hard-wired flight instincts and pacifistic nature making them poor fighters. Many usual trainership styles incorporating aggression and dominance will prove highly ineffective, even detrimental to their well-being, while their abilities create empathic backlash upon injuring others and makes them distaste combat, and your own stress levels during losses only makes matters worse. Trainers still willing to participate in the competitive battling scene may have to incorporate unique and creative trainership styles that make more use of positive reinforcement, anger management and stress control on your part, and showering excessive amounts of sincere affection and cheerfulness on the Ralts to counterbalance the inherent negativity of the sport and the resulting empathic backlash.

The presence of a Ralts can greatly affect your Pokémon team's cohesion and morale. Pokémon who think and act maliciously, aggressively or depressively can be detrimental to your Ralts' well-being, but if such Pokémon are necessary members of your team, then having other Pokémon that have positive and peaceful demeanors may help neutralize the effects. Another way is to rent a Gardevoir/Gallade into your team (or invest trainership in one) because their natural ability to dampen surrounding emotions with their own, coupled with their maternal/paternal instinct and therefore loving nature, can be of great value if such negative emotions cannot be helped (see _c. complexus_ and _c. honestas_ articles if you're planning to do so). But if you have psychic/aura potential, you may also consider learning how to replicate the Gardevoir/Gallade ability, but this requires constant concentration and meditation and isn't recommended if your profession demands your full attention. They can also be kept in their Poké Balls during times and in places of emotional distress, but doing so frequently can make them habitually retreat to their Poké Ball and make them near useless in times of emergency.

In fact, Ralts' ability of embodying the emotions of others around them are what makes them notorious among the trainer community. Many professional- and -serious trainership careers with highly stressful, competitive work environments (sports, white-collar jobs, etc.), high hazards/risks to workers (police, military, miners, construction workers, etc.), and demanding long hours while having little margin for failure (company scientists, engineers, medical professions, etc.) may prove quite a challenge for the aspiring Ralts trainer, not just from yourself and your other Pokémon, but also from coworkers and any Pokémon they may own as well. However, it is not impossible to have a Ralts with such lifestyles. Regulation agencies, labor unions and even some companies advocate company ownership of Ralts and/or their second stage evolutions: they make great litmus papers to gauge how well companies and organizations manage stress and hazards within their work environments. While it's virtually impossible to win the award of being "_100% chorumiliae safe_", top companies that come close to 80% normally contain highly productive workers and a greatly inspired workforce.

While Ralts are Psychic-type Pokémon and are expected to be intelligent, they and their evolutionary lines lack the usual aloofness of their type, which can surprise unprepared trainers. While incapable of human speech, they can be quite literate, and can telepathically communicate with as much fluency as those they interact with (like all Psychic-types, they learn to do so by incorporating the person/Pokémon's neural speech patterns; with practice, this allows them to transcend language barriers and even communicate with other Pokémon species). They can be a boon for trainers who wish to be thorough with their Pokémon trainership, and help them communicate with foreigners in a pinch.

Ralts and their evolutionary line are familial and horizontally-oriented, their concept of community being applied very broadly. Depending on who you and they've befriended, and how healthy your interpersonal relationships are, this can be as vast as you, your Pokémon team, your entire family and distant relatives, your friends and their friends as well, your coworkers, superiors and even brief acquaintances, and all these people's respective Pokémon should they be trainers themselves. While it's an honor to be considered a "sibling", to be labeled as a "parent" means you've earned the Ralts' complete, unwavering trust and utmost reverence. Trading Pokémon is considered distasteful to them unless the one being traded away has been unpleasant, or is going to another trusted member of its adoptive community. Trading of the Ralts themselves can be considered a grave insult no matter who they're going to, depending on how well you've cared for them. While Ralts are peace-loving and their first instincts are to flee, they are highly protective of their community members and can fight back if fleeing is no longer an option.

A trait usually overlooked by potential Ralts trainers are their special dietary needs. As stated before, their digestive systems are too weak to process cellulose or highly fibrous plant material, artificially-produced and processed foods like canned goods, soft drinks, preserved meats and vegetables, and very firm PokéBerries with strong flavors like Chesto, Coba and Durin. This can make Ralts trainership expensive and time-consuming without the right sources, but they have a good sense of taste and can help you differentiate foods considered healthy and unhealthy to them. You may also ask for a typical dietary plan for your Pokémon from the Breeding Center you got your Ralts from, if you're still unsure.

Despite all their risks and needs, Ralts are actually viable starter Pokémon. They are very child-friendly, rarely present direct hazards to humans unless excessively provoked, are easily excitable and quick to please, and their familial nature makes them go to great lengths to make their trainers and other community members happy. When showered with positive emotions they grow warm to the touch, which many people find pleasant (let alone the short silky-smooth fur of a healthy Ralts) and makes them quite huggable. Another trait many trainers also overlook is the fact that, due to their agrarian background, are instinctual green thumbs: while not being anywhere close to the skill of proper Grass-types, Ralts and their evolutionary lines are more than capable gardeners and farm tenders.

While negative emotions do present constant obstacles, they are equally receptive to all types of emotions good and bad, so a good work/life balance, happy relationships with others, a healthy self-image and careful regulation on their diet is all that's needed to keep these Pokémon fit.

* * *

**See Also:**  
_Ineffigiatus_ (family)  
_chorumiliae solsaltator_ (Kirlia)  
_chorumiliae complexus_ (Gardevoir)  
_chorumiliae honestas_ (Gallade)  
Cloaca  
Hectocotylus  
List of Evolutionary Stones  
Pokémon Trainership  
Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (to know what constitutes positive/negative emotions)  
List of Starter Pokémon  
List of PokéBerries

* * *

_Author's note: (**This article is still in the proofreading/development phase, and with the coming of Gen VI in two months [as of this post] may undergo notable content changes depending on how drastic the Ralts-line will be affected**)_

_Edit 1:  
__- added Ability/Hidden Ability Ralts strains in the **Notable Abilities **section  
- added Shiny Ralts descriptive differentiation in the **Physiology** section_

_Edit 2:  
__- added the __c. innocentum virtus__ (Sinnoh-indigenous) __and c. innocentum astutias (Hoenn-indigenous) subspecies  
- erased some redundant content in the **Behavior and Social Structure **section; transfered content from the **Courting and Child-rearing **- **Behavior and Social Structure **sections  
- altered wrong egg cycle constant of 256 minutes/cycle - 3840 minutes/cycle (or 64 hours/cycle)_**  
**_- added details on their green thumb traits on the **Trainership Notes **section_


End file.
